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Special Events Planned as Part of Fall Opening at UMass Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst kicks off another school year as it welcomes an estimated 4,650 new students to the Commonwealth’s flagship campus. The busy schedule through Labor Day is part of the New Students Orientation and First Week programs. Highlights include:

Student Move-In: First-year students move in Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., transfer students on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and returning students on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

UMass Game Day, Saturday, 2:30 to 6 p.m. Trolleys will take students from campus and downtown Amherst to the Mullins Center to watch the “Battle of the Bay State” on the big screen as the UMass Minutemen take on Boston College at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Students can also enjoy game-day snacks, participate in community service projects, check out information sessions and connect with classroom tours that depart every hour.

Rope Pull, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. in front of the Old Chapel. UFest grand finale, Class of 2018 students will compete with each other, and then pull against Class of 2017 teams, reviving a campus tradition that started in 1893.

New Students Convocation, 2:30 p.m. Monday, Mullins Center. Students will learn the university cheer, fight song and alma mater. They also will receive a Class of 2018 maroon T-shirt and take the pledge affirming the campus’s community values. Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and others will address the incoming class. Afterward, students wearing their new UMass colors will gather for an overhead photo taken from a bucket lift.

Largest New England Clambake world record attempt, 4 p.m. Monday, Haigis Mall near the Fine Arts Center. After setting four world records in recent years, UMass Amherst Dining Services again attempts to set a new one recognized by Guinness World Records by serving 3,000 people a traditional clambake.